Manufacture of boots and shoes



Oct. 13, 1931. J: KEEFE 11,827,200

MANUFACTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES Filed Jan. 25, 1929 applied to the shoe,

Patented '13, 1931 UNITED srATss Pare.ur- OFFICE aomrr. xnnrn,

anon comm,

or mur'samn, n'ssren'on 'ro INTERNATIONAL or an LOUIS, mssounr,

A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE murac'runn or noors AND snons Application fled 151m 28,

This invention relates-to the manufacture of boots and shoes and more particularly to a method of attaching heels including also the preparation of a channeled outso e in a manner to eliminate injury to the sole edges forward of the heel breast. 7 By way of example the disclosure herein will deal with the application of the principles of the invention to the manufacture 'of womens McKay shoes having wood heels,- but this is not a limitation.

l-leretofore the heel seats of outsoles have generally been fitted by hand to facilitate the attachment of wood heels. The outsole, when has been of the usual type and the fitting operations have consisted in cutting away the margin of the heel seat stock to form a tongue which will permit the edge of the heel to engage the upper, and

20 also forming at the breast line two transverse shoulders for the same purpose, one at each side ofthe tongue left by the marginal cut. The shoulders may be used to gage the position of the heel on the shoe just prior to its at- 5 tachment. Surface stitching s not the pracab yond the breast line so that stock because of wetting,

tice for McKay shoes and consequently the outsole is channeled and the McKatyl seam is covered by the'channel flap. The 0 ing machine cuts the channel rearward bein fitting the heel seat, as above described, the flap as well as the marginal stock beneath it is severed and removed when making the two shoulder cuts. .This leaves two free ends on the channel flap, one at each breast corner, that are unsecured exce t by cement. While the shoe is in use the e ges of these channel flap ends frequently become loosened from the sole, a blow at this oint or one of the other hazards of wear an the shoe becomes unsightly. An acceptance of this condition does not constitute fine shoemaklng.

The object of the present invention is to .devise a process of manufacture, including a novel fitting of the outsole, that will elimihate all danger of a picked-up channel flap at the breast corners of the heel even thoug the cement fails to hold.

To the accomplishment of this ob ect and ticularly pointed the accompanying drawings,

annel the channel flap,

1929. mm No. 334,488.

such others as may hereinafter appear, as will readilybe understood by those skilled in the art, the invention comprises the features and combinations of parts and processes of manufacture hereinafter described and then paras out in the appended claims.- The features and scope of the invention will best be understood from a description of the preferred embodiment thereof illustrated in in which Figure 1 is a view, in perspective, of a channeled outsole having the novel heel seat fitting of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in plan, of the fiesh side of the heel seat of the outsoleshown in Fig. l with its channel laid; I v

Fig. 3 is a view, in perspective, of a shoe bottomed with the outsole of'Fig. 1 and ready for the heel attaching operation; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views,in lan and in side elevation, of the heel end of a shoe with a heel attached, the novel heel seat fitting or" the outsole being indicated by dotted lines.

In the embodlment of the invention illustrated in the drawing anoutsole 10 is dinked or rounded in a manner to .forma central tongue or heel filler 12 (Figs. 1 to 3) instead of having a comp ete heel seat. This outsole is completel channeled, with any style of knife desire throughout the forepart, shank and heel tongue and the continuous or un broken channel flap 14 is raised (see Fig. 1). The margin or feather 16, exposed by raising is then snipped at each side of the forward endof the tongue 12 removing triangular pieces of the stock to produce two marglnal, rearwardly facing shoulders 18 substantially at the breast line. The outsole is then laid and McKay stitched to the shoe as shown by Fig. 3 wherein a portion of the channel flap is lifted to show the'stitching. The'channel flap is now laid and it will be observed (see Figs. 2 and 3) that the flap laying operation at the heel end causes portions 20 of the flap to overlie and cover the cavity caused by the removal of stock to form the breast line shoulders 18. The shoe is now ready to have a heel 22' attached.

To locate the heel for atta hment to the shoe its breast corners 24 are pressed down 1' The heel having been thus positioned it is attached in any usual or convenient manner (Fig.5).

' The advantage of practlcingthe process just described is that a channel flap .18 pro- T duced that extends across the breast line, i. e.

it is unbroken from a point forward of the heel breast to a point rearward thereof, so

that there is no loose end at the breast line that can pick up and s oil the appearance and neatness of the she which is a hi hly important portion of the shoe for style e ect and also much in evidence during wear. Expressed in another way, the shoulders, which provide for contact with the upper of the I taching operation.

breast corners of the heel and which also gage its forward locatign}it are bridged by a portion of the channel ap instead of being left bare. llhereis a continuity of grain surface from outside the heel to inside or beneath it, and just inside the heel this am surface is I held firmly against both the s oulder and the upper by the grip of the breast corners of the heel. As a result a neat and permanent breast corner joint is created that not change in appearance throughout the hfe of the shoe, It will be observed (Fig. 4) that the puckering of the flap portions 20, as they are depressed, draws their ,edges inward to be completely concealed by the heel. The

. convex edge of the heel thus joins the u per.

throughout its entire length as is require for fine shoemaking.

The nature and scope of the invention having been indicated and the process of manufacture of the shoe, together with the preferred mannerof fittin the outsole, having been specifically descri ed, what is claimed as new, 1s:

. 1. The method of attaching wood heels to be shoes having a short outsole with heel gaging shoulders at the ends of the breast line which comprises forming a channel flap on the out sole which overlies said shoulders and extends rearwardly thereof, and depressing said flap behind said shoulders by the pressure of the breast corners of the heel during the heel at- 2. The method of attaching wood heels which comprises, fittingan outsole havinga reduced heel seat with a grain "channel flap cut inthe margiirof said heel seat at each side and continuing withouta break forward of the breast line, relieving the outsole beneath said flap just rearward of each end of'the breast line, positioning a wood heel with its.

rear edge contacting the upper and with its attaching-the heel to broken at each side of estates channel ap' and extend the contact of the edge of the heel with the upper. from substantially breast corner to breast corner, and

the shoe by permanent fasteninggmeans. V v

3. The method of making shoes which comprises fittingan outsole with agrain side channel having a channel flap which extends across the breast line and with. a tongue at theheel end, securing said outsoletothe bottom of a lasted shoe, and attaching a heel so as to cover said tongue, to engage the upper with its edge and to press upon said channel flap with its breast corners'whereby said flap iiprevented from lifting during wear of the s cc.

4. The method of making shoes which comprises fitting an outsole with a grain side channel having achannel flap-which extends across the ,breast line and with the margin of its heel seat removed to produce rearwardly facing shoulders located beneath said channel flap at the breast line, securing said outsole to the bottom of a lasted heel having its breast cornersabutting said shoulders and pressing said channel flap against the upper rearward of said shoulders. The method of preparing breast corner liomts for wood heel attaching which com prises cutting achannel flap both forwardly and rearwardly of the breast line at each side of an outsole, turning said flap, and cuttm a substantia y triangular piece fi'om the un erlying stock at each side of the outsole rearward of the breast line, one side of each of said cuts being at the breast line to form a rearwardly facing breast line shoulder at each side of the outsole.

6. A wood heel shoe comprising upper materials, an outsole,

go and covering a tongue-like heel seat on tongue, and said outsole fgrward of the heel ing secured to the shoe y stitching beneath a marginal channel fla which extends une shank rearwardly a wood heel enga ing the ugper materials throughout substantially its e shoe, and attaching a past each-breast corner of the heel and beneath the heel onto said tongue.

7. A wood heel shoe comprising upper materials, an outsole, a wood heel engaging the upper materials throughout substantially its edge and having its breast corners set against two marginal shoulders at the forward end of a tongue-like heel seat on the outsole, said heel being secured to said tongue, said outsole having a marginal channel flap extending rearwardly at each side of the shank thereof over said shoulders, under said breast corners and thence beneath the heel, and stitching beneath said channel flap forward of said heel securing the outsole'to the shoe.

8. An outsole marginally channeled on its grain side from a point rearward of the breast line at one side to a similar point at the other side of its heel seat producing a continuos channel flap, and having portions of the marginal stock rearward of the breast line removed from beneath said channel flap to form two rearwardly facing breast line shoulders.

9. A short outsole for wood. heel shoes having a continuous marginal channel flap on its grain side, and having triangular shaped portions of the heel seat stock removed'immediately adjacent to the ends of the breast line leaving the channel flap unsu ported for a 715 short distance rearward of the breast line.

10. The method of preparing breast corner joints for wood heel attaching which com prises reducing the area of the heel end of a leather outsole from the breast line rearward, and cutting rearwardly facing shoulders, one at each end of the breast line, in the flesh only of said outsole. s

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature. 2% JOHN P. KEEFE. 

